Bruschetta

This is a very flavorful and easy appetizer!  The recipe might be a new idea for all those ripe summer tomatoes and fresh basil you have in your garden!

Yield:  12 servings


1 French Banquette (I use my Basic Bread recipe and form skinny, long loaves) 
3 ripe Tomatoes, diced
Handful of fresh Basil leaves
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated cheese (could also use Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese)
drizzle of Olive Oil
salt to taste


Thinly slice bread on a slant and place on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt. Broil on high 2 minutes each side or until toasted.


Stack basil leaves on top of each other.  Roll long ways and thinly slice to get strips of basil.  Combine basil, diced tomatoes, and cheese in small bowl.  May sprinkle with salt if prefer.  


Spoon mixture onto toasted bread slices. It may help to use a slotted spoon so you don't get too much juice from the tomatoes on the bread, causing it to get soggy.  


Arrange on platter and serve with appetizer napkins.

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy

Homemade Tortillas

With only a couple basic ingredients, you can have soft and warm tortillas in no time!  I like to make these at the beginning of the week when I plan on making tacos for Mexican night and then use any leftovers for sandwich wraps later in the week.  You can turn these into homemade chips by cutting into triangles, brush with oil, salt, and bake until crispy.  The original recipe I found said to use shortening, however, I hardly have that on hand if I am not baking cakes, so I substitute vegetable oil and it always turns out wonderfully.  Give these a try and you will never buy store bought tortillas again!


Yield: 12-15 tortillas


2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup hot water
1 tsp salt


Combine ingredients in a large bowl and knead to fully incorporate.  

Divide dough into equal portions.  Cover and let rest 30 minutes. (Usually I am impatient and cover dough with damp paper towel while I am rolling each ball out instead of waiting the full 30 minutes).

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough with rolling pin until as thin as possible.  I usually make mine the size of a frying pan and thin so I can almost see the counter top through it.  

Cook in skillet over medium high heat about 30 minutes each side popping any bubbles that form.  

Cover with towel to keep warm while making the rest of the tortillas.  

Store in Ziploc bag.

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy

Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet, gooey, and warm! These cinnamon rolls are so delicious.  Instead of burning a candle to make your house smell nice, try whipping up a batch of these babies.  Neighbors will be ringing your doorbell asking to borrow a cup of sugar when they really just want to taste some of these mouthwatering treats.  

Yield: 12 large rolls

Rolls:

2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 pkg)

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

4 cups flour

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/3 cup softened butter

1/2 cup Nuts and raisins optional

Icing:

7 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream cheese softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1. Proof Yeast, Milk, Sugar, Butter for 10 minutes.  Add Salt, Eggs, and Flour.  Knead with dough hook for 5 minutes on level 3.  Or by hand for 10 minutes if you need a good workout
2. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 400*
4. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough on floured surface into large rectangle. Spread with melted Butter and sprinkle with Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, and nuts or raisins if preferred.
5. Roll up from the long sides and pinch ends together.
6. Slice into 1 inch thick rolls and Place in greased 9 x 13 baking dish, let rise 30 minutes. 
7. Bake 16-20 minutes until slightly browned and cooked in the center of the rolls. 
8. While baking combine Butter, Powdered Sugar, Cream Cheese, Vanilla, and Salt for frosting.  Lick batters to taste a piece of Heaven.
9. Allow rolls to cool for 10 minutes.  Breathe in the smell of homemade cinnamon rolls throughout your home.
10. Spread 1/2 the frosting on warm rolls.  Cool to room temperature and spread the remaining half of frosting on rolls (if you didn’t eat it all up yet)

Enjoy these gooey treats!  Better make a double batch so the husband can take some to co-workers who will be very grateful for your “hard” work J

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy

Sweet Dinner Rolls

I have been using this dinner roll recipe for 2 years now and don't think I will ever find a replacement recipe that comes close!  These rolls are light and fluffy.  You can adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe to make them more or less sweet depending on your preference.  The 1/3 cup of sugar I use lends a sweetness to the bread similar to that of Hawaiian bread.  I make these rolls around Christmas time and they are perfect for leftover ham and cheese sandwiches!  

Yields: 20 rolls

1 cup warm milk 

1/4 cup melted butter

2 tsp (or 1 envelop) yeast 

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg
1 tsp salt

3 1/4 cup flour

Combine Milk, Butter, Yeast, and Sugar in mixing bowl. Cover with towel or plastic wrap and let proof 10 minutes.

Add in Egg, Salt, and Flour.  Knead with dough hook in Kitchen Aide for 5 minutes on level 3.  Or knead by hand for 10 minutes.  

Divide dough into 20 balls and place in greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size. 

Remove plastic wrap.  Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven.  Brush tops with melted butter (optional) and let cool. 

Enjoy the smell of homemade bread throughout your home!!!

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy

Soft Pretzels

Soft Pretzels are a unique idea for a lunch when served along with some spicy ground mustard or cinnamon sugar!  They can be made using my Basic French Bread dough recipe.  Like the Bunny Rolls, all children will love helping to make pretzels!  These would be a great project on a rainy day. 

After dough has risen for about an hour or doubled in size, divide the dough into even portions.  (I usually divide the dough in half and make 1 loaf of bread and 6 soft pretzels)  Roll dough into long thin ropes at least 24 inches long.  Twist the ends of the rope together and pinch them down to form a pretzel shape.  

In a large pot, Bring to a boil:

4 cups of water

1/4 cup baking soda

• Place the pretzels into the boiling water for 15 seconds turning them over with a slotted spoon.  Remove pretzels from water and place on a Greased cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with kosher salt (optional).  Position oven rack in the middle or a little higher in the oven to prevent the bottoms from burning.
• Bake on 400* 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

***Remember to grease the cookie sheet since the pretzels are wet when placed onto the sheet they like to stick a little.  If you have parchment paper, that would work great!***

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy

Bunny Rolls & Hot Dog Buns

I know I mentioned earlier that my daily bread dough is very versatile so I thought I would share some more ideas for how you can use the dough.  Both of these ideas would be an entertaining way to let your children be involved in making a meal for the family!

Before I jump in, I wanted to show a picture of what the dough should look like when it is doubled in size after its first rise.  When you are finished kneading the dough, it will form a nice ball shape.  After the dough had rested for about an hour it will look like this 

Now you can punch down the dough and divide into portions for Hot Dog Buns.  I can still use some work at shaping the hot dog buns, but here is a picture of my first attempt.  They kind of look more like hoagies but tasted great!

You can also make Bunny Rolls by pinching off small portions of dough and rolling them out into a thin rope.  If you have kids, this would be a fun way to get them involved and help preparing their meal since all kids are experts at making snakes with play dough!

After dough is rolled into a rope shape, take both ends and twist them together twice (this becomes the bunny's head and ears), Twisting the ends together creates a little hole like you would have with a twist-tie around a bag of bread .  Take a little piece of dough, roll into a ball and place into the center of the hole ( this becomes the bunny's body). Place these on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400* for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Here is a picture of the finished Bunny Roll.  These are perfect for Easter and the children will love them!

I think this second roll looks a little more like a bunny!  If you have cloves, you could place those in for the eyes before baking. 

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy

Quick and Easy Drop Biscuits

These drop biscuits taste very similar to the ones served at Red Lobster.  I like to make these to go along with a bowl of soup or spaghetti and they are also great to use on top of chicken pot pie instead of having to make a pie crust!  This dough in this recipe is basically a Bisquick mix and can be made in large batches (without the butter or milk) and stored for quick use!!

Yield: 6 Biscuits

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp melted butter or oil

1/2 cup milk

shredded cheddar cheese and parsley optional

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 400* 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Brush with melted butter mixed with extra garlic powder and parsely flakes. 

They are nice and soft on the inside!

 Enjoy!

Fried Tacos AKA Chalupas!!!

Yesterday was Mexican dinner night at our house.  I usually make my own flour tortillas for my tacos or quesadillas.  But I wanted to try something a little different last night.  I came across a recipe for fried tacos and thought I would give it a try.  These were easy to make and tasted just like Chalupas from Taco Bell.  As you can tell in the picture above, I couldn't wait to take a bite and see what they tasted like. I will be making these again!

Yields: 10 taco shells

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup warm milk

1 cup (or as needed) oil for frying

Combine flour, baking powder, salt in mixing bowl.

Heat milk in microwave for 45 seconds and add to mixing bowl along with oil.

Mix on kitchen aid number 3 for 5 minutes or knead by hand for 10 minutes.  You may need additional flour so dough doesn't stick to surface.

Divide dough into 10 balls and roll out into 5 inch circles.  Press middle of circle to flatten to avoid bubble when frying. (Note: I first divided into 8 balls but taco shells were big so I pinched a little off each and made 10 taco shells total)

Heat oil in skillet. I had mine stove top set at number 6 out of 10 (so medium heat) the whole time. 

Carefully, place dough in hot oil and fry 30-45 seconds until golden brown.  

Turn over and brown other side additional 30-45 seconds until browned.

Drain on paper towels.

Enjoy with your favorite taco toppings and a cold beer!

Helpful Tips:

I used an extra 1/2 cup flour to flour my hands, rolling pin, and counter top when rolling out dough.

Be very careful when placing dough in oil to fry and flipping dough over to cook the other side. I place the dough in the pan away from me so that if any oil does splash up a little it is not going to hurt me! I also used two metal spatulas to help turn the dough.  

Have a sharp knife to help pop any bubbles as they form.  This helps for even cooking and less oil jumping out at you J

Make sure to tap off any loose flour before dough in oil.  I forgot and that is why my oil looks brown from burnt flour L  You will also want to have your fan on so you don’t set off the smoke alarm! Let’s just say I think our neighbors were wondering what the heck I was cooking!!

Top taco shells with refried beans, ground taco meat, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, salsa, cheese...whatever you like on your taco!!!

These are amazing with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top for dessert.  They tasted like a cinnamon sugar doughnut!  I think I might have to try them as doughnuts in a later blog post!

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy

Calzones

I love making calzones!  

They are a great way to use up leftover meats, veggies, and cheeses that I have in my fridge.  They are also a wonderful idea for entertaining since each guest can customize their calzone according to their favorite ingredients.  The toppings are endless: green peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, pepperoni, spinach, sausage, shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese...whatever makes your heart flutter!  

·       To make the calzones, I use my Basic French Bread recipe and divide dough into six portions.  

·       Next, roll dough out into a circle like you would with pizza.  

·       Top with your favorite ingredients, but make sure to leave out the sauce!  Calzones are eaten with the sauce on the side.   

·       Then you fold the dough over and crimp the edges to make a half circle.

·       To finish them off I like to brush olive oil on top and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.  

·       Bake in the oven at 375* for 25 minutes or until browned.  

Serve calzones with a side of warmed marinara sauce, garlic bread, and a salad.  

Helpful Tips:

You can also make cheesy garlic bread to serve on the side at the same time you are preparing the calzones! To make garlic bread, take one portion of the dough, roll out into circle and spread with melted butter. Sprinkle on garlic powder, Italian seasonings, and shredded cheese.  Bake along with the calzones.

Mangia, Mangia!   

Hamburger Buns

I just recently made this recipe, and have to say it is the best hamburger bun recipe I have tried to date!  The buns are light and fluffy and the dough is easy to work with.  You can use this recipe for sandwich buns and hot dog buns as well.  

Yields 6 large Hamburger Buns:

1/2 c milk

1/2 c warm water

1 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2 3/4 c flour

1 1/2 tsp yeast (or half package)

1. Warm Milk, Water, and Butter in microwave for 30 seconds or enough to melt butter. Pour into mixing bowl.

2. Add Yeast and Sugar to mixing bowl, cover and proof for 10 minutes.

3. Add Flour and Salt to mixing bowl.  Knead at 3 for 5 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes.  Cover and let rise 30 minutes. 

4.  Divide dough into six portions and roll into balls.  Flatten balls with hands until round 4 inches wide.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

5. Bake at 400* for 10 minutes.  Rotate baking sheet in oven and continue baking an additional 10 minutes.  

6.  Let cool and enjoy!

Helpful Tips:

When dividing dough into portions, it may help to flour your hands to prevent any sticking on the dough.  

Watch the buns closely to prevent burning.  Oven temperatures seem to vary and I turned my oven down to 375* for the last 10 minutes.

I have used this dough to make Pigs In A Blanket by rolling the dough out, cutting into strips (about the size of breadsticks) and wrapping the dough around hot dogs.  It was something different and it would be great for kids!

I hope you try this recipe and see how easy it is to make homemade hamburger buns to add a little something extra to your next BBQ!

Sweet Dreams,
Cindy